Never Back Down
by TheMightyAnimeFanGirl
Summary: Megan Beck is regular girl, studying the science of Alchemy. However, one night, when she was sixteen, she performed the ultimate taboo, despite knowing the consequences. Automail in place, Megan starts to head off the Central in the hopes of passing the State Alchemist Exams. This is where her journey begins. Pairing: Ed x OC
1. Chapter 1

Never Back Down

Chapter One

It was the year of 1914, a peaceful time at that. However, for one person it was not. This person's father just left her with her mother for reason that only God knows.

Her father's name was Arthur Miller. He studied the world of Alchemy, letting his daughter read over his notes since she was only six years old. Little did he know, he was sending his daughter into the dangerous world ahead of her.

Her mother was young, pretty and kind, caring for everything and everyone. Her name was Annie Beck. She met Arthur in the year of 1882. For her, it was like love at first sight. He was smart, handsome and caring. Never would she have thought that he would do this to her in the present. When the year 1898 came round, Arthur had gotten her pregnant, and hence their daughter was born; baby Megan.

Megan was the daughter of Annie Beck and Arthur Miller. However, she looked more like her father than her mother. She had dark blonde hair, reaching down to her mid back and large green eyes. This is what she looked like now, in the year 1914.

It was a peaceful night after her dad left, however horrible that sounds. There was a downside to all that peacefulness; her mother was locked away in her room, not eating, however many times Megan has brought her food and tried to help her. The longer the day went on, the worse Megan's mother got. It got so bad that one thing lead to another, she killed herself, leaving Megan alone in the world to defend for herself.

Megan herself, could not survive this on her own. So she did what she knew was the ultimate taboo; human transmutation. She tried to bring her mum back, but failed.

She paid the price for her mistake.

The price of her left arm.

This is the ultimate taboo that should not be performed, in any circumstances. It just brings more misery.

Megan looked up to the centre of the transmutation circle, hoping that she could have at least brought her mother back, despite her circumstance. However, when she looked up, the thing she saw was not human. Nowhere near as close as what you would call human. All of the organs that are meant to be on the inside of the body, were on the outside. Despite the sight, Megan couldn't bare to look away. She was stuck. Her body wouldn't move. Her eyes wouldn't look away. "Mother?" Megan whimpered, trying to numb out the pain in her left arm. "Is that you?" Megan looked wide eyed at this thing she created. This couldn't be her mother, could it? The thing looked up at Megan, breaking her out of its trance. It started to reach towards her, however it coughed up blood and fell, dead, to the ground once again.

"What have I done?" Megan whimpered to herself. "What have I done?" Megan then passed out as pain once again ran throughout her body.

_I'm sorry, mother. _

-Page Break-

Megan Beck woke up, screaming in pain as her arm scraped something to the left of her. All of a sudden, she felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder, calming her down, if only a little bit. Megan opened her eyes weakly, looking up at the blazing lights, blinding her. She looked at the white walls. '_This must be a hospital room.' _Megan thought to herself, looking around slowly.

"How are you feeling?" A masculine voice said to the right of her. Megan looked up in shock, not expecting someone to talk. She looked to her right and saw a man in a white coat. '_Ah, a doctor. Makes sense.' _ Megan didn't reply. Instead, she attempted to sit up, her muscles protesting in the process. "You really shouldn't do that you know." The Doctor spoke once again.

"Where am I?" Megan asked, her voice rough.

"You're in the hospital. You're pretty lucky, you know? If someone had found you any later, you would have died from blood loss." The doctor replied.

"Ah…" Megan muttered to herself, and looked down at her stump of an arm.

"If it's not too impolite, may I ask what happened?" The Doctor asked, curiosity lining his voice.

"I'm sorry, it's not really something I want to talk about." Megan whispered in reply, trying to keep her voice even. The doctor just nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"Well, you're going to need to stay here for a while. Rest up and recover your strength. May I ask, what are you going to do about your arm?"

"There's a town full of automail shops, correct?" Megan asked the doctor. He nodded as a reply. "As there is, I'm going to head to Rush Valley, pay for automail and become a State Alchemist. It's the most I could do to make up to my mother."

"A state alchemist you say? Well, let's just say you have a dangerous life ahead of you kid. Be careful." The doctor replied, worried.

"Don't worry Doc, I will." Megan smiled gratefully at the Doctor.

"You will be discharged in a week. Gather up your strength till then. Make sure you don't visit the hospital too many times, okay?" The doctor smiled at Megan and left through the room's door.

-Line Break-

After a week of being released from the hospital, Megan made her way to Rush Valley.

The train ride was peaceful to say the least. Well, there was no trouble, as far as she was concerned.

A couple hours later, Megan arrived in the thriving town of Rush Valley. As she was walking through the streets, she looked around in awe at all of the different shops, people and automail. She couldn't believe her eyes. All was peaceful until she felt someone tap her arm. Looking round, Megan came face to face with none other than Winry Rockbell, not that she knew this at that time.

"Is there something I can do for you?" Megan asked the blond haired girl, curiosity lining her voice.

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I noticed that one of the sleeves of your coat was hanging limp, like there is nothing there. I'm sorry if I upset you in any way, but are you missing an arm?" The girl asked cautiously, hoping to not bring up any horrible memories. To her relief, Megan smiled and nodded, easing her tension away.

"That's the reason I came here. I was hoping to find a cheap automail mechanic. But the problem is that I came on such a short notice as well. Do you think you could help me?" Megan asked politely, noticing the tension that was in Winry's shoulders.

"Well, you're in luck!" The blond giggled, causing Megan's face to grow a look of puzzlement. "I'm an automail mechanic." Looking at Megan's shocked faced caused her to giggle again. "I could get a deal for you at the shop I work for!"

"Thank-you so much." Megan laughed in glee. "My names Megan Beck, what's yours?"

"Winry Rockbell." Winry replied, lifting her hand up for Megan to shake, which she did.

"So, do you think you could help me? I guess you could say I'm in a bit of a hurry." Megan said awkwardly, scratching the back of her head.

"No problem! Just follow me and we'll be there in no time!" Winry chuckled as Megan started following her almost immediately.

When they arrived at the store, Winry's face was full of curiosity. "Say Megan," Megan looked back at Winry from where she was examining all the different types of automail. "What are you doing that causes you to hurry so much?"

"Well, you see," Megan started to reply, turning around to face Winry completely, "I'm hoping to reach the State Alchemist Examinations." Megan chuckled a little bit.

"Really? I know a State Alchemist who I'm his mechanic for. In the military he's known as the Fullmetal Alchemist but here he's known as Ed Elric."

'_Fullmetal? Never heard of him before' _Megan thought to herself, her face showing that she was thinking. "Can't say I've ever heard of him, sorry." Megan laughed awkwardly once agin.

"That's funny. He always brags about how he's well known. Tell me, where did you come from?" Winry asked.

Megan answered the question in as much detail as I can whilst she started to create an automail arm to 'prepare yourself for the life ahead', as Winry so kindly put it. Once she did, they small talked for a little bit, getting to know each other until it was time. Winry was ready.

-Page Break-

Megan attempted to get used to her arm, but it might take a while. Going for a few weeks without an arm and now you have one, well, that would have to get some getting used to, for obvious reasons.

The process of connecting the nerves to the automail was a painful one, but she would just have to get used to it. It was time to go to central.

In the hopes of becoming a State Alchemist.

Finally.


	2. Chapter 2

Never Back Down

Chapter Two

*Time Skip* - Day Before Exam

Megan stared around in shock, looking at all the bright lights that surrounded the city. Her hair, blowing in the late night breeze, refreshed her from her long journey.

Megan sighed. She was finally here but she had nothing to do to pass time. Notes were already prepared, clothes all sorted out, nerves banished to the bare minimum. All she really needed to do was get a room in a hotel and sleep. Megan sighed again, about to take a step when someone stopped her in her tracks.

"Are you alright, ma'am? You keep sighing." A man with pitch black hair and eyes, smiled at Megan. He was wearing the uniform for the State Military of Amestris. '_Well, would you look at that, I've just met someone from the military.'_ Megan thought, raising an eyebrow at the man.

"Perfectly fine, thank-you." Megan replied, starting to walk away again, but the man spoke once more, in a cocking tone, might Megan add.

"You free right now? I can buy you a drink if you want?" The man smirked.

Megan, being the person she was, suddenly burst out laughing finding the whole situation funny, while the man stared at her in confusion. "Sorry," Megan cleared her throat, "I'm guessing you like them young then?" She raised an eyebrow, watching the man's reaction, "I mean, come on dude, I'm sixteen year old and you're, like, late twenties?" Megan chuckled as the man stared at her like she had grown another head.

"I'm twenty-nine." The man mumbled under his breath.

"Well, now that is sorted, I best be off! See you around buddy!" Megan laughed again when she stared her search for a hotel.

The man, whose name Megan did not know, watched her walk away with an amused look on his face.

When Megan found a hotel with a free room, she immediately collapsed on the bed and fell asleep.

*Time Skip* -Exam Begins!

Megan awoke feeling refreshed. She stretched out her arms and legs, satisfied when she heard a click. Running to the bathroom, Megan started the shower, letting the water run down her hair for a while because she started washing.

Half-an-hour later, she walked out with a pair of camouflage trousers, a plain, black vest top and a deep blue, button-up coat. With her hair tied up with low, pigtails, Megan walked out the door and was on her way to the exam!

-Line Break-

She was finally here.

She was just a few exams away from, possibly, becoming a State Alchemist.

She just had to wait a little longer.

Lining up to go into the examination room for the written exam, Megan heard some whispers.

"What's a girl doing in a State Alchemist Exam? I mean, surely, it's way too dangerous for a girl!" A boy who looked around eighteen, with sandy, coloured hair, whispered to his friend.

Megan heard this, turned to face them, gave them the sweetest smile she could muster while punching her fist into her left palm.

That immediately shut them up.

Sometime later, the examiner called in all of the examinees. '_Well,' _Megan thought, '_it's time to get the party started!' _She smiled at the thought.

Megan walked into the exam hall and took a seat in the middle row, on the far left seat. She looked around the room at saw three quarters of the room's population looking at her. Megan just pulled a funny face at them. To be honest, Megan couldn't care less about what they thought about her, be it weird, un lady like or even "Is she an alien?", that was fine with her.

With her curiosity levels peaked, Megan continues to look around the room until she had eye contact with a certain individual. '_That's the man I met earlier.'_ Megan thought to herself, as amusing as this whole situation was. Said man look gobsmacked to see her here, let alone give him a massive grin and thumbs up.

Before long, a man walked up to the front and announced that the exams were starting.

It was only a matter of time before Megan realised what adventure she was going to have in the near future.

**A.N: Sorry this chapter isn't long but I wanted to update as soon as possible. So sorry again but I hope you enjoy it anyway! :)**


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